Franke Surname: Origin and Coat of Arms
What does Franke mean, and where does it come from? Here is a brief introduction.
Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Franke coat of arms for you.
Origin of the Franke name
Franke is a German ethnic name for someone from Franconia, the land of the Franks along the Main, or a nickname from Middle High German vranke, "free man". The final -e is typical of northern and central Germany, where Franke is especially common, notably in Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony.
Our historical archives hold much more on the Franke name: dates, names and records of early bearers.
This overview covers the Franke name in Germany. We also hold records of the name in other countries, such as the United States, Austria and the Netherlands; your full pack is researched for your family's country of origin.
Get your full Franke family history
Your full Franke pack adds the researched history, early records and migration. Order your pack and our heraldry team researches and paints the Franke coat of arms for you.
Franke name FAQ
What does the Franke name mean?
Franconian; free man. Common variants include Frank, Francke, Franken.
Where does the Franke surname come from?
It originates in Germany, and is also found in the United States, Austria and the Netherlands.
Is there a Franke coat of arms?
Arms were granted to individuals, not whole surnames, so there is no single Franke crest. Herald Lab paints a personalized Franke coat of arms based on historic heraldry.
Researched by Herald Lab Research Studio, since 1993. Sources: Duden Familiennamen; Dictionary of American Family Names (Oxford).